Nevermind The Posers

See ya in the pit.

Happy Friday! May 13, 2011

Filed under: Music Videos,Too Cool for a Category — NVMP @ 9:57 PM
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Rock the hell out of your weekend!
– TNT

“American Trash” by Innerpartysystem.  Yes, this is my nice way of telling you that you are not the most important person in America.  Go live your own life instead of idolizing reality TV non-stars, turning your skin orange by laying in cancer boxes and pretending your hot shit when you’re not.  Actually, this is my way of telling our non-poser readers to tell all the posers out there, or better yet “American Trash,” to get a life and live it.

“Sail” by AWOLNATION.  I heard this song on 101.9 WRXP on my drive home from what felt like the longest week ever and it made my day, perhaps even my weekend.  Great song and video.

 

Osama Bin Laden: 10 years, Trillions Spent, War Far From Over May 10, 2011

Filed under: Rants — NVMP @ 10:30 PM
NVMP believes in freedom of speech, here’s a taste.  If this offends you, please don’t read.
– TNT

A Rant by Stigz

Yes, that’s a headline you will never see.  Which is shocking considering it’s as true as water being wet.  In other news, the sky is blue.  That being said, I’d like to examine what this epically newsworthy event sparked and illustrated – to me at least.

First and most painfully apparent – the power of social media platforms.  I’d wager that 90% of people heard about this via Facebook.  Personally, I was sitting on my friend’s front porch when I received an update from a CNN app on my phone proclaiming the terrorist figure-head’s demise.  He, at the same time, got a phone call from his friend, proclaiming the death of the man that plotted the 9/11 attacks and subsequently killed thousands of New Yorkers and injuring thousands more.  Just out of curiosity I checked out Facebook.  I bet if I would have done a word search for the words “Osama” or “Dead” I would have come back with thousands of results.  Which brings me to my next point – the next person to make the Osama/Obama connection, I’m going to hit you with an iron skillet.  Thanks for the obvious connection; maybe next you can work less blatant word play.  However, besides the obvious rejoicing of catching the scumbag that killed thousands of my fellow citizens, I’m so glad I don’t have to hear about the Royal Wedding anymore.

America, I have something to tell you.  We have a history of not being like the British.  In fact, we celebrate it every July 4th, when a bunch of white slave-owning farmers got together and signed a document which told King James to piss off.  This country was started because of disgust for royalty.  Now we are obsessed.  Let’s stop sliding ass backwards.  Please.  “Modern day fairy tale” or not, the entire debacle isn’t what I would consider worthy of more than a few lines on the nightly news.

And finally, I’d like to say to the American public that we are not always the “good guys.”  I’m not going to puff rainbows up your ass – this country is built on blood.  For us to even live here, whole societies had to be killed or displaced (American Indians, for those of you that failed history class).  Now, I’d like to preface my next statement by this.  My father was a Navy SEAL in Vietnam, one of the first.  My grandfathers on both sides were in the military.  My grandmother was part of the WWII war effort.  My mother was a Federal agent.  I have a history steeped in military service and fighting for the homeland.  Personally, I think that in order to vote, all citizens must serve their country in the armed forces, be it in a combat capacity or clerical.  Italy, Japan and Israel have similar systems, and trust me, tell people they have to be ready to die for their country to be able to have a say, and watch how fast these bleeding heart liberals and tortoise-shell-glasses wearing hipsters shut their cakehole.  Most people who know me, know this is how I feel, but I will put it in writing.  Being that I am the only man in my family to carry on my name, I could never be drafted.  However, Sullivan Act or not, if the war has a chance of coming to the shores of the land I was born in, you’ll be damn sure I’ll be on the battlefield the next day.

This brings me to my next point – this newfound respect for the Navy SEALs is abhorrent.  They should have had our respect from the word go.  These are warriors, men of men, who have been trained to fight, kill and survive since they were in their late teens or early twenties.  They should have always been in the hearts and minds of all Americans, just like our soldiers overseas.  (PS Not only is a SEAL team the most elite and awesome fighting force on the planet – but they have attack dogs with titanium teeth. Yes, it’s true; look it up…Long story short, America doesn’t fuck around.)

Now on the news I see this neurotic fixation on them.  I even saw a blurb on the news saying “Meet the heroes of the SEAL team that killed Osama tonight.”  This is ridiculous.  Let’s call a spade a spade: We assassinated Osama.  We took our best Special Forces detachment and raided a compound and took out a high value target.  However, they don’t use the word assassinate.  They shot him unarmed, and capped his wife in the leg (which, I have to say, what was running through her head trying to attack a SEAL team in tactical gear with – most likely fully automatic and silenced weapons?)  Case and point, this proves, we assassinate people – and some people we should put two in their head and one in their chest.  For those that said he should have stood trial, go back to your hippie circle and sing Kumbaya.  He killed thousands of ours; we should have dragged him through the town and set him on fire.  Sometimes, people have to die.  And for the first time in a while, the right one was killed.  On another note, these heroes deserve their privacy – they are a covert operations outfit.  This is only one of I’m sure, dozens of black ops that have happened since the New Year.  This one was just more palatable to tell the American public.

My point in this rant is this:

A) “We” didn’t get him.  A combination of good intelligence, fearless Special Forces operators, and sheer balls got him.  So stop saying “we.”

B) We, America, are a great nation.  We boast freedoms for every man and woman that some countries couldn’t dream of.  However, we didn’t get all of this by being nice.  There is blood on all of our hands.  If you can’t deal with that, leave.

C) This isn’t the end of the “war on terror” (a term I hate in itself).  Terrorism is global.  Terrorism has been around for centuries.  And until we shape our global policies to deal with this sad truth, we are all doomed.  Don’t celebrate yet – not until our soldiers come home.  We are fighting in several countries still, with no end in sight.

D) This was an unsanctioned black op in enemy territory where helicopters went in low, touched down and unleashed a shit storm in Northern Pakistan.  In short, we assassinated Bin Laden.  I hope he brought marshmallows to roast in Hell next to Hitler.

Don’t say “we” won, because unless you have stripes on your shoulders, you didn’t do anything except play Call of Duty on X-box and watch the news.

 

What Cover Song Do You Feel Is Better Than The Original? May 4, 2011

Filed under: Music Questions — NVMP @ 11:17 PM
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TNT
I would have to say “Crimson and Clover” covered by Joan Jett and The Blackhearts.  Originally by Tommy James and the Shondells, I feel that Jett’s version blows the original out of the water; the drums and guitar really make this cover work.  I’ve never been a fan of Donna Lewis’s “I Love You, Always Forever,” but when I heard the track covered by Jukebox the Ghost, my mind was changed.  This version doesn’t make me embarrassed to listen. 
 
Angela
Hands down, the first thing I thought of was “War Pigs” as covered by the Dresden Dolls, originally by Black Sabbath.  The drumming Brian does on that song makes me stare in awe every single time.  They are a two piece band and still do the song justice with a full sound and enough energy to make this one, kick-ass cover.  I generally hate covers, but this one is my absolute favorite.

Hoverbee
I can think of many cover songs that are far better than the originals.  In fact, I feel that’s the mark of a great cover.  In my opinion, it’s silly to cover a song that’s already awesome, although many bands do.  I really enjoy it when a band takes a song and makes it so much better than it was (which is usually not the case with covers).  Some examples are as follows: Nirvana‘s cover of Shocking Blue’s “Love Buzz,” Joan Jett and The Blackheart‘s cover of Arrow’s “I Love Rock ‘n Roll,” and The White Stripe‘s cover of Dusty Springfield’s “I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself.”

Mark
It’s hard to say, because I know of an amazing cover that’s right on the tip of my tongue, but of course when it comes time to write about it, I can’t remember the song or who covered it.  So for now, my pick is Gary Numan’s 1979 tune “Metal”, covered by his worthy successor to dark themes and electronics, Nine Inch Nails.  Numan’s original version was part The Pleasure Principle, an album set to a self-composed Sci-Fi story taking place in a gritty, violent and increasingly dangerous world over run by technology and paranoia.  What makes NIN’s cover so amazing is that it not only expanded upon the original musically, but that it actually sounds more like a song that defines the universe Numan intended to create than the original.  The NIN version is a journey into madness and paranoia, which gets exceedingly worse with every second clocked, as the clanging of metal increases with creepy out-of-tune guitars, repetitive grunts and droning dead air.  I would almost say that this version better illustrates Numan’s vision for his nightmarish dystopian future.

Stigz
I am on the fence, but I think it’s a tie between Jimi Hendrix‘s cover of Bob Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower” and Refused‘s version of Prince’s “Let’s Go Crazy.”

Daniel-Edward
Even though the original song is great, No Doubt‘s cover of “It’s My Life” by Talk Talk is one of my favorite, and I would say better than the original.  I also like Kim Wilde‘s cover of “Keep Me Hanging On,” originally by The Supremes.
 

The Westboro Baptist Church Protest a Less Than Jake Show in Pensacola, FL May 2, 2011

Filed under: Can You Believe This?! — NVMP @ 11:01 PM
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by Angela Blasi

The Westboro Baptist Church has capitalized on the old saying that there is no such thing as bad publicity, even if you’re in poor taste.  Which they are, all the time.  The group of old Testament, like religious zealots are notorious, if not infamous for their protests at events such as fallen soldiers’ funerals and pop culture events.  However, their  latest endeavor on 4/20/11, protesting the beloved ska band Less Than Jake, makes even the more apathetic of us raise an eyebrow.  Really guys?  Apparently somewhere in Leviticus it made a reference to skanking being the dance of the devil or some shit.  See?  And you thought all that gyration was wholesome.

Faced with slightly more than a dozen picketers with “signs that talked about whore mongering, adultery, sin,” Vinnie Fiorello was a bit perplexed by the reaction.  “It had to be a slow night at the bible study last night… Or they heard the truth that we are a traveling band who love Satan but hate guns,” he told AltPress.com.

Clearly, none of these Westboro Baptist Church members have ever been to a Less Than Jake show, or any ska show for that matter.  If they ever did open the narrow scope of their ignorance-coated blinders, they would see a community of kids all coming together for music; picking each other up off the floor from pits, skinny baby-faced boys with arms out to keep the girls from getting hurt and a color spectrum of skin tones and flushed cheeks.

What exactly is “whore-mongering” anyway?

Less Than Jake recently re-released expanded versions of 1996’s Losing Streak and 1998’s Hello Rockview on their own label Sleep It Off and are gearing up for some major announcements shortly.  The band just wrapped up a handful of Florida dates and are preparing for the entire Vans Warped Tour this Summer.

 

REPUBLIC OF LETTERS: The Band that Broke this Camel’s Back May 1, 2011

Filed under: Editorial,Interviews,Music You've Been Missing — NVMP @ 1:35 PM
Tags: ,

By Orin Louis

Ohhhh dammit.  After Wiki-ing “indie rock,” I can say that, from this genre, I enjoy and regularly listen to Elliott Smith, Interpol, Arcade Fire, and MGMT – but have only heard pieces of others, including The Killers, Modest Mouse, and The Get Up Kids.  Yes, I am one pathetic loser, because these bands are huge.  They sell out shows to tens of thousands of screaming little bastards; they are crucial links in our musical zeitgeist – indelible landmarks on our cultural landscape…blah blah…I know, and am hesitant to reveal this ignorance to you.  But I suck at lying.

So why is my opinion here worth a turd?  I’m rational, skeptical, and most importantly: fucking hard to please musically.  There’s a solid reason I’ve avoided this style so long – it’s often sappily two-dimensional.  I can’t ever tolerate country music because my dog hasn’t screwed my wife in the old Chevy pickup on the farm; likewise, I simply don’t relate to most indie.  It just doesn’t speak to me.  I was raised on classical, classic rock and a tinge of electronic.  Truth be told, I rarely enjoy music with any words at all, especially anything current.  High quality instrumentals plus meaningful prose is as common as hetero unicorns.  Lo, WTF – suddenly, my car’s been blasting an indie rock album on repeat for weeks?!  Republic of Letters’ new EP, Painted Hour, packs the emotion of Arcade Fire, the wisdom of E. Smith and the punchy pulse of MGMT.  The resulting sound floats past those less desirable, but all too familiar, indie rock traits, while staying true to the genre.  Artists of any medium who consciously work toward stretching a cluttered style in new directions – and are successful at it – are the only ones worth experiencing.  ROL’s music addresses common themes – love, hope, loss, desire, frustration, but from new angles.  Profound lyrics over meaty, hungry instrumentals take me somewhere else, somewhere I want to be.

In my favorite track, “Running From,” a reverby piano accompanies lead singer Chris Venti’s mellifluous voice so perfectly.  Picture “November Rain” vs anything Radiohead.  “Running From” never loses energy as it effortlessly builds and breaks, hitting me deep in the gut.  Lyrics like, “Cause the writing on the walls today / yeah I don’t know just what they say / was stolen from a haunted past,” do not entirely make sense to me, but jeez, I don’t want to understand immediately.  Robert Frost said: “Poetry is what gets lost in translation.”  I say the most valuable art is not that which is immediately accessible, but that which reveals clear intention, while leaving room for discovery.  Every track on Painted Hour has this effect.  The music is intelligent; it holds back the right amount to keep me engaged yet, with each play, I hear something new.

I meet the band at The Red Fox Room in North Park, CA.  I’d expected lanky, drugged-out assholes; yet, to my relief, they are sharp-witted and genuinely personable (but still lanky).  They’re also snappy dressers.  I ask them to start at the beginning.  Guitarist Adrian tells of when he was a kid, watching his parents’ band: “She dressed up in cheetah print…they played so loudly, I’d go up the stairs and try to play along with them on keyboard.  But I really wanted to be a drummer, and began by playing bells.”  I asked if that was a helpful experience.  “Hell no!” He retorts.  “Carrying around a bell kit, you’re a target.  I got beat up a couple times.  But I used the bells on the last record for one tiny part.  Nick gave me shit, but it worked, ya know?  Now I practice guitar usually around eight hours each day.”  An aspiring, yet busy, guitarist myself, I can’t help but envy the guy – perks of being a professional.

Bassist Martin began on the recorder “‘Hot Cross Buns,’ dude,” he tells me (now regretfully).  “I played trumpet, then got good at baritone horn.  Even got to play in a Charger halftime show.  One day, my dad told me, ‘Get good at bass and you can be in any band you want.’  I started going to shows, even if I didn’t know which bands were playing.  I spent all my money on CDs.”  I ask if playing for a pro football stadium was difficult.  “It’s much scarier playing for friends intimately.  That’s the nice thing about touring—you can be whatever you want in front of people you don’t know.”  I imagine meeting ROL in a few years to see if they’re still pretending, or if they will have become these alter egos.
 The Venti brothers’ (singer and drummer) mother is a classically trained pianist and vocalist.  Nick recalls, “Music was always around.  We were always in a creative environment.”  I ask about how/when he knew he wanted to be a musician.  He tells me of a night in his teen years, at a Bad Religion show: “Riding the mosh pit, I got thrown into that space between the stage and the crowd.  Security was walking me out when they became distracted by two punks climbing the rafters.  Everyone rushed over there and I had a moment to decide…I jumped up on stage while they were playing.  My friends were like, what the fuuuu?!  Was just one of those moments.”  He reminisces on ROL’s early days: “We were a piece for a year, until Adrian came in to raise up the musicianship, and we finally found that sound. All our music now is about creating a mood. If we all like that mood, we’ll continue with it.”

I ask Chris from where he gets his lyrics. He explains: “I go through notebooks of crap to pick out a few winners. I’ll build a song after that. I’m always trying different writing methods to grow, like maybe starting with the idea in a chorus and then going to verses. Although, I’m not totally bound to that because there are songs I love that I have no idea what the words are about, but they’re my favorite songs.” I ask why. “Probably because you can attach your own meaning, and then start to build a story around it. You connect the dots in your own way. The interaction between music and listeners…I always thought that was cool.” His brother adds: “For our sound, the song is the most important part of the song, if that makes sense. The music around it should be tasteful and interesting, but if you were to strip down one of our songs and play it on the acoustic, that’d be the most important thing.”  ROL is not an acoustic band; they play electric guitars, basses, and keyboards.  I am still digesting this idea, that the song is the most important part of the song.  Something profound here.

Nick tells me, “It’s not real methodical.  We all look at it like, how can we write a better song?”  I ask, “What’s a better song?”  “Cliché, but one that pulls on the heart-strings.  It’s a never-ending process.  If you feel it…the song will create an emotion in you.  It’ll make sense.  I mean we don’t wanna make people cry, but hopefully the song connects and make sense.  There are rules, but it’s cool to break ’em if you can do it.”  Chris adds, “It’s enjoyable when things click with four people.  You don’t have control of the other people but, from nowhere, you all tap into something and it just starts to work.  You might have heard that from other artists.”  Adrian interjects, passionately: “What was burning behind all of it was this feeling, this energy, this basic drive from the beginning.  We didn’t know how to write a song…we just kept putting one foot in front of the next and here we are.”

I ask their thoughts on the San Diego music scene.  Nick says: “It’s great.  Small, everybody knows each other, real supportive.  SD’s missing real industry though—labels to help bands move from here to there.  LA has all that, but it’s not real inviting.  You come to LA to play, just to do your thing.  SD’s more communal…supportive radio and people.  In the 90’s there were a few labels here…but there’s just not a lot of good deals anywhere out there anymore.  People who that think the music industry is dying are wrong.  It just needs to evolve.  It’s in that middle period.  I know groups who’ve signed to labels and it works for them…but the label takes a cut of everything…which is fine if they’re making you a lot of money, but often it’s not like that.  A band now gets momentum on its own.”  I ask him, “Advice for those trying to break into it?”  “Don’t quit,” he says.  “Every band that started when we started is not around anymore, at least on the local level.”  I can’t help but marvel at their determination.  Although, it doesn’t hurt that they rip and, should they ever forget, they will be quickly reminded by their massive local following.  They invite me to a rehearsal.

The following week, we meet at their studio, a room in a building made specifically for bands.  Walking down the hallway, I hear and see musicians all over, smoking and jamming out.  To my surprise, Republic of Letters sounds exactly the same or better than they do recorded.  I try hard not to lip-sync, though by now I know most of the words.  I enjoy a private show for myself and two photographers.  I don’t intend to stay long, since I’ve other assignments beckoning, but I end up staying the couple of hours through their entire set.  Each musician is focused, professional and deliberate.  It is clear in their expressions and through their playing.  I leave feeling extra special, having experienced this young band, no doubt soon to be a household name.  Imagine seeing the Stones before they were the Stones.  Yeah.  Feels like that.

Sigh.  Guess I’m into indie rock now.  Not ready for the tight jeans yet (I’m not lanky), but I am eager to check out some of the band’s other musical recommendations, including Louis XIV and Transfer.  At the bar earlier this week, Nick described Republic of Letters’ songs as “new kids, which we get to see grow and grow.”  Pick up their new album ASAP, catch them live and witness their talent and notoriety grow and grow.  Hendrix said: “Music doesn’t lie.  If there is something to be changed in this world, then it can only happen through music.”  This band has something to say and the skill with which to say it.  If their music doesn’t change this world, at worst, it is guaranteed to alter the entire indie rock genre forever.

 

New Found Glory at Montclairfest 2011 April 25, 2011

Filed under: Concert Reviews — NVMP @ 10:37 PM
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Review by Ryan Bright
     On Wednesday April 20th, 2011 Montclair University had their annual Montclairfest with Florida based band New Found Glory as their headliner.  I’ve seen New Found Glory over ten times and this was by far one of their best shows I’ve seen. To begin with, they were playing an auditorium with seats, which is unheard of for a band of their persuasion.  Kids were going nuts, stage diving into seats with complete disregard for themselves and their fellow students.  NFG played their usual singles (“Head On Collision,” “Forget My Name,” “Hit Or Miss,” etc) and the crowd was singing along in unison.  One thing that baffled me though was the lukewarm response to them playing “Dressed To Kill,” a song from their self titled album.  They got a better crowd response when they played covers of “Kiss Me” and “Iris.”  I can’t stand both of those songs and was rather disappointed because I knew that I would be missing out on some of their fine three-minute gems.  I can understand the response though, since this was a college show, most in attendance were probably not true fans and had only heard a few songs.  So when they play songs that were Billboard number ones, they could actually sing along and not feel like noobs.  One thing that made me happy were the kids who were fans; they went bonkers when they played a Gorilla Biscuits cover, showing their roots.  It made me feel like I was at a show where audience participation was encouraged and you were made to feel like part of the band.  Chad Gilbert, lead guitarist, was having technical difficulties throughout the night, but mainly because kids kept unplugging his cables while running across stage.  They came back with an encore of The Ramones “Blitzkrieg Bop” and finally “My Friends Over You.”  Steven Klein, the rhythm guitarist, gave his guitar to a girl mid-song.  She danced around and pretended to play with the best look I’ve ever seen on anyone’s face.  When “My Friends Over You” played, kids rushed the stage and crowded the band, making it almost impossible for them to finish.  I heard one kid outside after the show say, “Bro, I shook New Found Glory’s lead singer’s hand, how many people you know can say that?”  I love the accessibility about college shows.  You can hang out with band at Chili’s, like one girl I talked to, or jump onstage and rage with them.  It’s a show for the kids to let loose and have fun during the stressing weeks near finals, and that’s exactly what it accomplished.
 

The Musical Creative Process April 22, 2011

Filed under: Editorial,Too Cool for a Category — NVMP @ 12:20 AM
Tags: , , , , ,

By Sean Davis

Musicians take a variety of approaches to composition; in the world of popular music alone several schools of thought inform the process of song writing.  John Lennon insisted on writing meaningful, poetic lyrics bathed in metaphors and expression; while Paul McCartney’s focus was on musical precision, making sure every note was carefully planned and perfectly executed.  McCartney was well-known for filling in melodies with nonsensical syllables, replacing them with words later (and often with John’s aid).  This compositional discontinuity is found not only in modern popular styles, but also throughout all western musical history.  Chopin was famous for laboring over minute details for hours, trying to discover the perfect combination of tones.  Monteverdi believed in the concept of text dictating the flow and direction of the music, going so far as to break the fundamental rules governing musical composition at the time.  Regardless of how one composes, the end result will almost always beg questions from listeners.  What inspired such and such song?  What did you mean by this lyric?  I really love the chords in that song, where did you come up with that?  It is these questions, and more, that spawned the fields of musical criticism, music theory, and continue to guide people into a musical life.  The problem with such questions, however, is that the creative process is almost always just as unique as the individual creator; there is no blanket truth we can ascribe to song-writers and composers that will reveal an objective musical process for creating good music.  What we can discover through analytical and historic study, are commonalities that might provide useful insight into how we can discover our own unique musical identities.  By understanding what aided those who came before us, we can capitalize on that information, and possibly use it to enhance the evocative powers of our own compositions.

Let us examine the two different approaches used by Beatles John Lennon and Paul McCartney.  There are distinct advantages and disadvantages to both systems, which is probably why the music that came from the collaboration between these two was so expressive.  Lennon’s practice of allowing the text do the work for you is not new, as mentioned earlier the baroque composer Monteverdi famously claimed that the music should follow the expressive motions of the text.  This idea can create wonderfully striking relationships with the listener, every word reflected in some musical gesture; we see this notion take form in Lennon’s famous single “Imagine,” the harmony is relatively simple, however the focus on major 7ths and circuitous, repetitive progressions signify a dream-like, ethereal atmosphere.  We can surmise from Lennon’s view on composition that he probably wrote the words first, and then crafted the music around them, trying to match the emotions he felt were in the lyrics.  Composing like this is effective for many, however it does exhibit a few pitfalls.  When the music takes a subordinate role to lyrics, very often it fails to express all that it can.  In other words, the music may not live up to its full potential.  I may be crucified for suggesting this, but in my opinion this dilemma is the main problem with the music of Bob Dylan.  Lyrically speaking, his songs are evocative, poetic and worthy of great praise; however, the music is stale, boring, and goes on far too long without variation.  Also, many times when the words predate the music, it can be difficult to find a way to seamlessly integrate the text with the musical syntax.  Clunky transitions, awkward phrases and misconception of text are often the result of a poor marriage between lyrics and music.

Paul McCartney approached song-writing from a different point of view, he would sweat over the harmony or melody of a song long before even considering the words.  When a composer or song-writer creates in this manner the instrumental aspect of the music tends to be just as important, if not more so than the words.  Focusing on the purely musical allows for a wider range of expression and interaction between musical devices, thus increasing the music’s ability to signify deep and meaningful concepts.  When listening to the opening bars of “You Never Give Me Your Money,” one can commiserate with the singer’s confusion and dejection.  The progression sequences down by fifths, cycling through all of the chords in A minor.  The descending lines coupled with the interaction of the piano chord voices evoke a musical atmosphere separate from the lyrics.  When we finally hear the words, the music has already set the scene for us, coloring our interpretation from the onset.  These kinds of expressive devices come from a learned set of syntactical symbols, arranged in various ways to extract an emotional (or physical, or psychological, etc…) response.  Most people are familiar in some way with how most songs unfold: two or more contrasting sections presented with lyric alteration guiding the listener from beginning to end.  Of course there are any number of variations on this framework; the fact is that because we know what to expect, due to exposure to these symbols over and over again (via radio, television, dance clubs, internet, etc…), we develop a sense of music’s ability to signify.  The skilled composer and/or song-writer has such an understanding of these symbols that she/he is able to utilize them to either fulfill, or stifle, an expectation.  However, ignoring the capacity of lyrics to resonate with individuals can cause even the most well-constructed songs to fail to connect.  Sometimes when composers, especially song-writers, place too much emphasis on the instrumental and non-verbal in their songs the listener is left with a vague wash of expression devoid of any real form.  In the worst case scenario the words and music are almost contradictory, would anyone have listened to “I Want To Hold Your Hand” if the title was “Please don’t hurt or murder me,” and the lyrics grim depictions of armed robbery and muggings?  The imagery of the words would not have matched the imagery of the music.  This kind of extreme case rarely occurs, however poorly worded songs can cause a disconnect with the listener.  Musical creators do not want poetic lyrics with drab music, or poetic music with drab lyrics, the true artist finds a medium between the two, balancing the forces and dipping one way or the other as the situation calls.

It is our job as musicians to learn from these techniques, and to use them to further enhance musical expression.  The famous axiom “you must learn to walk before you can run” rings true here, for we must learn the language of musical signification before we can create artful music, capable of expressing our most intimate thoughts and desires.  Want to be a rock-star?  Want to write the next great song, and not the next hit pop-tune, but the next “Erlkönig” or “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)”?  Then your greatest assets are your ears, listen to as much music as possible, and to the greatest variety of music possible.  Learn the symbols and how they manifest themselves in music, use that knowledge to your advantage to create new styles and new symbols, and music will continue to grow in expressive capacity.

 

What Songs Would You Want To Be Played At Your Funeral? April 20, 2011

Filed under: Music Questions — NVMP @ 4:31 PM

What song would you like to be played at your funeral and why?

TNT
I could list a full soundtrack of songs to be played at my funeral, so I’ll narrow it down to just three.  First would be “Imagine” by John Lennon.  I can’t listen to this song without getting emotional or even crying, it is so powerful.  The second would be “Ruby Tuesday” by The Rolling Stones.  “Ruby Tuesday” is one of my all time favorite songs and I think the lyrics would suit my funeral: “Goodbye Ruby Tuesday, who could hang a name on you? When you change with every new day, still I’m gonna miss you.”  The last song would be tribute to my mom, who also wants “Free Bird” by Lynyrd Skynyrd to be played at her funeral.  “If I leave here tomorrow, would you still remember me? For I must be traveling on now, ’cause there’s too many places I’ve got to see” and “‘Cause I’m as free as a bird now, and this bird you can not change” make for a meaningful and spiritual departure from this earth.  Props to mama dukes who raised her twins on southern rock and metal.  ❤

Angela

I never really thought about what music I would have played at my funeral.  I can tell you that my mother has told me explicitly to play, “Spirit in the Sky” by Norman Greenbaum at her funeral.  All I really want is a mix of music that when played, makes people recall fond memories of me.  I imagine a nice mixture of Green Day, Silverchair, and Queen.  For any of my ex’s these may include songs like Finger 11’s “Paralyzer,” Silverchair’s “Love Your Life,” “Magic” by B.O.B. ft. Rivers Cuomo,  One Republic’s “Apologize” or even Evanescence’s “Sober,”  to name a few.

Mark
I don’t care to think of such a thing, but if I really had to pick I would like to start with Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata (1st Movement: Adagio Sostenuto)”.  Although it does present the immediate air of gloom and sadness, which would reflect the mood of the situation, it would be present more for the fact that it is one of my favorite songs and not to help make visitors increasingly more sad.  It would lead perfectly into some of my favorite Philip Glass compositions, specifically “Etude #1,” again for the fact that I love the song, and not to reflect the mood.  From there, it would morph into an 80’s and electro dance party, because the day should be about remembering the good times and to remind loved ones that memories are the key to immortality, especially the happy ones, which can be best illustrated by your favorite songs.

Stigz
Considering most lives are much more dynamic than a single song can reflect, I have more than one.  One would be “Voodoo Child” by Jimi Hendrix, while the other would be “Music Is The Answer” by Celeda.  Hands Down.

Hoverbee
I would like “The Time Has Come Today” by The Chambers Brothers to be played at my funeral (the long version).  I’ve always loved the energy and lyrics of this song.  It’s one of those songs that makes me feel really good every time I hear it, although near the end it gets a little creepy.  That creepiness is perfect for the occasion symbolizing the fear of death and the unknown.  The cowbell simulating the ticking of the clock with the band chanting “TIME!” emphasizes the undeniable truth that we only have so much time and it eventually runs out.

Daniel Edward
As I was searching through my music to try to find an appropriate funeral song, I kept coming back to one: “Heroes” by David Bowie.  It’s hard to imagine what your funeral will be like, and I put many soundtracks to my own funeral while answering this question (“Dance in My Blood” by Men Women & Children, Fiona Apple’s cover of “Across The Universe”, “Gimme Sympathy” by Metric), but something stood out about “Heroes.”

Klone
What song would you like to be I remember a long time ago, maybe even in a previous life, I remarked to a friend that I was thinking about what my funeral would be like.  The response was a strange one, as my friend looked at me like I had three heads or something, and moments later told me I was too morbid.  Morbid or not, I’m a fan of preparation and planning, and for literally the last social event centered around me in this existence, I want that party to seriously rock…within reason, this is after all a funeral.  There’s always been one definite, must-be-played track for my funeral and that is the Guns N’ Roses cover of “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door.”  The guitar work on this track is amazing, and definitely helps to solidly define Slash’s Guitar Hero status, while at the same time helping to fill out this rendition of the Bob Dylan classic.  It feels full, it feels complete and I can only hope that I feel the same way when I take stock of my life in my final moments.  Some additional tracks for the funeral: “Free Fallin'” by Tom Petty, “Send the Pain Below” by Chevelle, “Bug Eyes” by Dredge and “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” covered by Life of Agony.
 

New Animated Video by Cake For “Long Time” April 15, 2011

Filed under: Music Videos,New Music — NVMP @ 7:57 PM
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Video Review by Hoverbee

Click Here to watch the video for "Long Time" at MTV.com

Cake has released a video for the second single, “Long Time,” off of Showroom of Compassion.  The animated music video was created by French production company Callicore Films, an art studio that focuses on CG Art and the resistance against “the cultural dictatorship of media.”  Founded by distinguished French artist Laurent Mercier and his partners Linda Mercier and Xavier Semen, Callicore has worked with John Lee Hooker Jr., Arrested Development, The Buzzcocks, Marky Ramon and more.  Their collaboration with Cake resulted in the sad story of a vagabond and his monkey who have been imprisoned for going against the grain and not following the same road as others.  The video mimics the lyrics of “Long Time” by cutting together scenes of the imprisoned vagabond and his monkey, flashbacks of happier days when they were free and an image of a ticking clock.  In the end of the video, while being transported to their execution, the vagabond breaks through a panel in the truck finding a way to escape, but is unable to fit through the hole.  He realizes his monkey friend will fit through the hole and sacrifices himself by setting his monkey friend free.  Although a sad story, the video is a fitting visual companion for the song.

 

For The Love Of Music, Or The Money? April 14, 2011

Filed under: Can You Believe This?!,Rants,Too Cool for a Category — NVMP @ 8:25 AM
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by Angela Blasi

So Drake was momentarily out of Young Money after an alleged argument and shoving match between him and Lil’ Wayne.  According to the rumor mill, like most celebrity fallouts, Drake got heated when discussing the possibility of restructuring his contract and while also inquiring about royalties.  He threw some words around to which Lil’ Wayne, the badass he is, basically told him to get the fuck out.  Days later the internet is a buzz with media citing that, oh, he was just kidding!  Drake, you so funny.  From interviews given by both Drake and Lil’ Wayne the two have cited nothing but the utmost appreciation for one another and are in fact still a part of the Young Money machine.

While this sounds like a sweet tale of bromance, the cynic in me can’t help but wonder how big a role money played in this smoothing over.  I imagine Drake throwing a bitch fit over royalties, starting to get an inflated sense of self (when most people know you’re from Canada and played the handicapped kid on Degrassi) and popping off at the mouth.  Fast forward a day and everyone realizing that, holy shit, we make a lot of money to do this, are you fucking stupid?  Smile for the cameras boys.